Rotary sleeve valve for internal combustion engines



y 7, 1938- J. D. CAMERON 2,117,650

ROTARY SLEEVE VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Nov. 19, 195528 5o 5: 47 26 so 48 48 49 INVENTOK L/d-TTZGS Q Cameran Attc'r'neyPatented May 17, 1938 PATENT ()FFIQE ROTARY SLEEVE VALVE FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES James D. Cameron,

Madawaska, Ontario,

Canada Application November 19, 1935, Serial No. 50,607 In Canada April11, 1935 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a rotary sleeve valve forinternal combustion engines. Its primary object being to devise andconstruct a rotating sleeve valve of improved design.

A further object of the invention is to devise a rotary valve positionedadjacent the head of an engine and surrounding the upper portion of theengine cylinder having means carried by and above the head to rotate thesame, said means being operable from the main shaft of the engine towhich the said means must be definitely related for purposes of timingthe rotating position of the valve with respect to the position of theengine piston in the cylinder.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a rotaryvalve sleeve mounted in a channel surrounding the upper end of theengine cylinder, the valve sleeve and channel having coacting shouldersto establish a seal between the upper end of the valve sleeve andchannel to prevent loss of compression and escape of gases into thecylinder head.

With these and other objects in view that may appear While thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel constructionand arrangement of co -operating parts as hereinafter more specificallyset forth, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing forming part ofthis application and in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through aninternal combustion engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section, showing w the vertical packingkeys for the valve sleeve,

and,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line A-A of Fig. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawing in 40 which similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views itwill be seen the invention comprises in general a cylinder block 2|]having one or more cylinders 2| constructed therein and surrounded by awater jacket 22 having the usual circulation and radiation means inconjunction therewith. A piston 23 is reciprocally mounted within thecylinder and connected to the main shaft of the engine by the connectingrod 24.

The rotary valve comprises an annular sleeve 25 having an inner shoulder26 and an outer shoulder 21 formed on the upper part thereof. Extendingupward from the shoulder 21 is a gear ring 28 while on the inner sidethereof is an annular channel 29. The sleeve 25 is rotatably mounted ina channel 30 formed in an annular ring 3| in the cylinder block andpositioned between the cylinder wall 32 and the outer wall 33 anddepending into the water jacket 22 in a manher to permit the watertherein to surround the same and thereby maintain a uniform temperatureand prevent the same from becoming overheated. Shoulders 34 and 35 areformed in the upper portion of the ring 3| to receive the correspondingshoulders formed on the sleeve. The shoulders in the ring form a seatfor the sleeve supporting the upper portion of the sleeve so that thelower portion is free to rotate in the ring. The valve seat alsoestablishes a seal between the upper end of the sleeve and ringpreventing the leakage of gases into the cylinder head.

An intake port 36 and outlet port 31 are constructed in the outercylinder structure adjacent each other and connect with the usual intakeand exhaust manifolds of the engine. The said ports are continued in theinner cylinder wall structure as at 4c and 4|, while the said annularsleeve is positioned in the channel 3|] between the inner and outerports. A single port 42 is constructed in the annular sleeve andpositioned to register with the aforesaid intake and exhaust ports asthe sleeve rotates.

The compression keys 43 are positioned in vertical keyways 44 out in thering 3| and are arranged to engage the inside of the sleeve 25. U

Springs 45 are provided and are placed behind the keys in the key-waysin a manner to urge the same into contact with the said sleeve. Thesekeys are placed on each side of the intake and exhaust ports and one maybe placed in between the same as shown in Fig, 2. The keys act in thesame capacity as the compression rings 46 on the piston and prevent lossof compression around the sleeve.

The cylinder head 4'! is secured on the cylinder block in the usualmanner by bolts 48 and the water jacket is extended thereinto as shownat 49. An annular groove 50 is provided on the underneath side thereofto accommodate the gear ring 28 which projects upward into the same andan annular flange 5| is formed thereon and depends below the facethereof into the channel 29 in the top of the sleeve 25. A threaded boss52 is provided on the top of the head to receive the spark plug 53.

The valve or sleeve rotating mechanism comprises a shaft 54 rotatablymounted in bearing boxes 55 secured on the top of the cylinder head.Said shaft is centrally disposed with respect to the cylinder and isprovided with drive means on the end thereof connected with the engineshaft. A series of gear wheels 58 are mounted on the shaft 54 inrelation to each cylinder. These gears extend downward through slots inthe cylinder head to engage the gear ring 28 and thereby rotate thesleeve.

Special means may be devised for lubricating the rotating sleeve. InFig. 1, I have shown one form of such which comprises an orifice Si inthe cylinder head into which the lubricant is to be fed. A feed pipe maybe threaded therein and oil supplied under pressure or in any othersuitable manner. The said orifice terminates at the bottom of theannular flange 51 and a number of small vertical orifices or ducts 52are drilled in the sleeve 25 extending to the bottom thereof and lateralducts 63 connecttherewith to deliver the lubricant on the wall of thechannel 30.

As previously stated the rotation of the shaft 54 bears a directrelation to the rotation of the main shaft of the engine, and thegearing must be designed to produce a ratio of precisely one revolutionof the rotating sleeve 25 to four revolutions of the main shaft. Thesleeve rotates one quarter revolution on the downward and the port isopen for the exhaust stroke. The sleeve continues to rotate and passesthe closed position from exhaust to intake when the piston reachesapproximately the top of the exhaust stroke. The intake stroke thencommences as the port or the sleeve comes into correspondence with theintake port. By the time the bottom of the intake stroke is reached theport is again closed and the compression stroke commences and developsinto the power stroke during which time the ports remain closed due tothe relative positions of the same and the co-related rotation of therotary valve or sleeve.

It is believed that the advantages and construction of the device may beapparent from the foregoing paragraphs taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, without further detailed description.

' While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed itis understood that minor changes in the construction and arrangement ofco-operating parts may be resorted to within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:-

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a rotating sleevevalve mounted in an annular channel surrounding the upper end of theengine cylinder in concentric relation thereto, a

valve seat formed in the upper portion of said channel comprisingopposed shoulders in the side walls thereof, corresponding shoulders onthe opposed sides of said sleeve valve adapted to engage and rest uponsaid valve seat to establish a seal between the upper end of the valvesleeve and channel, a ring gear formed integral with the upper end ofsaid sleeve valve and extending into the cylinder head, an annulardepending flange formed integral with said cylinder head in concentricrelation thereto adapted to seat in an annular recess formed in theupper end of said sleeve valve inside of said ring gear, intake andexhaust ports through the walls of said cylinder and channel below saidvalve seat, a port in said sleeve valve adapted to alternately registerwith said intake and exhaust ports and means for rotating said ringgear.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a rotating sleevevalve mounted in an annular channel surrounding the upper end of theengine cylinder in concentric relation thereto, a valve seat formed inthe upper portion of said channel comprising opposed shoulders in theside walls thereof, corresponding shoulders on the opposed sides of saidsleeve valve adapted to engage and rest upon said valve seat,compression rings disposed between the upper end of said valve sleeveand the cylinder head for holding said valve sleeve in engagement withits seat to establish a seal between the upper end of said sleeve andchannel, intake and exhaust ports through the walls of said cylinder andchannel below said valve seat, a port in said sleeve valve adapted toalternately register with said intake and exhaust ports and means forrotating said sleeve valve.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a rotating sleevevalve mounted in an annular channel surrounding the upper end of theengine cylinder in concentric relation thereto, intake and exhaust portsin the walls of said cylinder and channel, a port in said sleeve valveadapted to alternately register with said intake and exhaust ports, avalve seat formed in said channel above said ports comprising opposedshoulders in the side walls of the channel, corresponding shoulders onopposite sides of said sleeve valve adapted to engage and rest upon saidvalve seat to establish a seal between the upper end of the valve sleeveand channel and means for rotating said sleeve valve.

JAMES D. CAMERON.

